Clean Beauty Mascara Roundup
- Stephanie Ann Ferguson
- Sep 3, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 22, 2021
Do you remember those quizzes in the Teen magazines that told you super helpful things to take with you into your adult life like, "What Nail Polish Color are You?" or "What's Your Perfect Pet?"
They're silly, and fun, and sometimes eerily insightful, but not always a solid contribution to your life goals.
Unless, of course, we are talking about being stranded on a desert island and are asked which beauty items we must stuff in our pockets as the plane/boat goes down. You can't tell me you haven't thought about it.
Just me? hmmm, ok.
Well, #sorrynotsorry, I definitely know what beauty products I would break into my kaboodle for in a life or death situation and make darn sure it was on my person when I was rescued.
Hands down, mascara is absolutely on that list. Call me crazy, but browns and lashes aren't all the craze for no reason folks. They upgrade your look in a flash and are relatively easy to maintain.
I have done a roundup of some of the top #cleanbeauty mascaras I have used recently and will break them down for you here.
It's important to note that we all have different texture and dimension to our lashes, so what works best for me may not be your personal top pick...or vice versa. That's ok!! This is really to give you an idea of each of these brands and help give you a starting point to pick a #cleanswapmascara that works best for you.
So, without further ado, but with a fantastic and suspense-building drumroll... let's talk top mascara picks...
My Sappho Long Lash Vegan Mascara
This lengthening mascara was definitely my favorite of this roundup. I have fairly long lashes and typically go for a volumizing formula, but I am so glad I didn't this time!
I loved the smooth formula and the defining tapered silicone brush. Silicone brushes are a beautiful tool as it helps boost the effects of a good mascara formula.
This lengthening, buildable vegan mascara gives you a long-lasting, smearless finish, but is very easy to wash off without leaving any residue behind. I love that it is buildable without making the lashes appear too wet or clumpy. My favorite thing about this mascara was the definition it gave me and that it didn't flake off as the day went on. Okay, so maybe that's two things I like most about it (hehe). I was even able to use it on my lower lashes, even though that's not a typical thing for me, without it rubbing off or looking like I was cast from The Walking Dead. Winning!
W3LL People Expressionist Mascara
This botanical mascara was high on my list of expectations, and did not disappoint. As a huge fan of their makeup overall, I was ready for this mascara to give my lashes all-the-things. I loved that even though this was their regular formula (they do have a volumizing one), my lashes were quite full and lengthened after one coat of this mascara. I was not able to wear the Expressionist Mascara on my bottom lashes, or for more than 8 hours without a small amount of transfer happening. It wasn't a deal breaker for me though, as it wasn't a ton and easy to manage/clean up. The Expressionist Mascara was a show-stopper with 2 coats, and a very full but natural finish with one coat. It cleanses easily and looks great on every client I tried it on. Loved it!
Inika Organic Beauty Lengthening Mascara
This award-winning certified organic vegan mascara was a beautiful finish to almost any natural makeup or no-makeup look. I loved that it was light weight, soft, and buildable, without appearing too heavy. It did take me 2-3 coats to look how I typically want my mascara to look, but that wasn't a game changer for me. We have already discussed that I would stash my mascara on a deserted island, so that should tell you I take mascara pretty seriously. I would have preferred a different wand on this mascara to boost it's drama, but overall very happy with this mascara as well.
Honest Beauty Mascara + Primer
This mascara intrigued me because of the dual end sporting a mascara + primer on either end of the tube.
It's super low price (for the clean beauty space) makes it accessible for many beauty enthusiasts, and is available at most Target locations or Sephora. I loved the primer step as that really upped the volume game for me, and more of the look that I prefer to go for. You have to apply the mascara and wait about 30 seconds for it to start setting before layering the mascara. It provides a really voluminous look, without too much fuss, I don't mind the extra step of the primer as I typically do more than one coat of mascara anyway. The only downside the the mascara + primer to me was the texture. It was quite dense and wet for my long, thin lashes...so I had to add definition by using a lash comb or layering with an alternate mascara. I think a different wand would have helped with this issue.
It is super-long wearing, and even required some extra attention when washing off--much like a waterproof mascara. Though this is not a waterproof formula, it did react eater resistant for me.
It did irritate my eyes when worn for a long day, or when worn for several consecutive days.
Mineral Fusion
This lengthening mascara glides on silky smooth and gives great definition and color. I loved the full shape of the tapered bristles, which gave a slight curl and lift to my lashes. I needed a few coats to get the look I really go far, and loved that it wore well for several hours--though it did seem to flake after about the 6-hr mark for me. The wand in this mascara was a little large for my lashes personally, but worked great on several clients I referred it to. It's very buildable without looking too wet or heavy, and washed off easily without any leftover residue.
Pacifica Length + Strength Mascara
This was my least favorite of all of the mascaras tried in this roundup. It is also the least clean of all of them, which is one of my major disappointments with this brand. The length+strength formula was very smooth and came with a large, fluffy wand. That usually lends to a more volumizing appearance, but that was not the case for me here. This mascara was a very wet formula, and required some additional TLC for me to get the definition I was looking for. Those with thicker lashes may have better luck with this than I did.
This mascara flaked off terribly on me after only a few hours, which was the biggest deal breaker for me.
Most mascara can be removed pretty good with just water, or with soap and water. To avoid stripping and drying my eyes or skin, I wash off all my makeup with Purifièr Facial Cleansing Oil and a warm washcloth.
PSA: Remember to switch out your mascara every 2-3 months at the latest. Because air is introduced to the tube after every use, it multiplies bacteria quickly and can leave the eye very vulnerable.
Have you tried any of the above brands? Which mascara do you love? Which one will you try next?
Be Healthy. Live Beautifully.
-Stephanie
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